


Stockholm Syndrome [EXO x Reader]

by orphan_account



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/M, OT9 (EXO)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:14:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21756634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A baker. A detective. A police officer. A singer. A politician. A doctor. A hero- or rather, a vigilante.And a psychopath.Wow, you really have your pick of men, don't you?_____________Who you end up with will be decided by a vote :))
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Reader, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Reader, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Reader, Kim Jongin | Kai/Reader, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Reader, Kim Minseok | Xiumin/Reader, Oh Sehun/Reader, Park Chanyeol/Reader, Zhang Yi Xing | Lay/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 45





	1. Prologue: Cast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New work y'all  
> I hope I don't fail this one

The Cast, and their roles in the story:

"Detective Inspector" (Y/N)

Age: 24

> One of the most top-ranking detectives in your division, you, (Y/N) (L/N), just wanted a little rest. You'd seen too much gore and blood for probably the rest of your life- you didn't hate it, exactly, you just were sick of it- and was perfectly content to chill at home, watching the latest episodes of _Sherlock_ and laughing at DI Lestrade's stupid mistakes. Unfortuantely, you and your partner have been brought up on a new case, something that requires most of your time and the best of your skill...

"Work Partner" Park Chanyeol

Age: 24

> Most commonly referred to as Chan or Yeollie, Park Chanyeol is one of your closest friends and work partners. The two of you, mistakenly referred to as a "couple" in most days, is one of the most effective and well-working pair in the whole of Seoul City Police Department. It's been three years, almost, since you knew him, and the two of you have grown closer and closer- movie nights at his place, cooking at yours, jajangmyeon dinner together, things like that. You find him to be the best (and cutest) thing since glazed donuts, but how does he find you, is the question...

"Police Freshman" Oh Sehun

Age: 22

> It'd been years since the SCPD had allowed a newbie in. He had high hopes, and higher dreams- fresh out of university, of course he would. How could he not? He was excited for his job, excited to be working for the city at last, and you didn't have the nerve to discourage him- he was your cute maknae, after all. Everyone loved him. He blabbered to you about everything- his dreams, but most of all his expectations for the police force. He'd covered everything so far as you knew, you could tell- but there was something even you couldn't foresee...

"Best Childhood Friend" Kim Jongdae

Age: 24

> Since the two of you met in primary school, and then _again_ in middle school, you've been inseparable from each other. He's one of your best friends, and you're attached at the hip- finishing each other's sentences is no hard task for you. You've found him to be nothing but lovable- all sides of him are just awesome from the lovable cutie to the playful boy to the supportive friend. You've never been apart since, so how would he react when you're gone completely, you don't know...

"Protective Sunbae" Kim Minseok

Age: 26

> Your time at university was a good one, but you've had almost no contact with your old friends, until you get set up on a blind date, is told the guy has "dark red hair"- and find out it's your old uni sunbae, Minseok. The two of you remember each other faintly, and it's rather ironic that you get to know each other better nearly three years after you first met, but now is better than never. He's tsundere but caring, and you find yourself falling for him more and more- except _someone_ is prone to get jealous more than others...

"Neighboring Baker" Do Kyungsoo

Age: 24

> You'd had too many coincidences in your life, but when you'd moved in three years ago it was one of the best surprises you'd had- a neighbor, who owns a bakery and can cook, too! He's been nothing but caring since you've gotten to know him, inviting you over to have dinner, giving you "free samples" of pastries, and the occasional demonstration of jujitsu. He has an odd charm and you care deeply for him, but neighbors can get closer than you think...

"Rich Politician's Son" Kim Junmyeon

Age: 25

> Most of Seoul hates them. The corrupt rich families who are snobbish, think they're the best, and turns down anyone who doesn't own a crystal chandelier. That's what you thought of those high class kids, too- until you meet Kim Junmyeon. He's completely opposite of what you would think- responsible, quiet, and, oh, yes, infamously attractive. He's sick and tired of the girls who always try to get with him for the money, or the power, or the fame, or hell, even just for his face, so he's glad out of his mind when you come into his life with a bang, literally...

"Misunderstood Vigilante" Byun Baekhyun

Age: 25

> Seoul thinks he's the bad guy, but you know better. Ever since he saved you from a gang of ruffians, he's been intent on walking you home to ensure you safety- and, unlike how the media portrays him, he's been incredibly sweet on you. You owe a lot to him, and is infuriated with the news for making him out to be so evil when he's obviously not. He walks you home for your safety, for god's sake! Or maybe, walking you home has more to do with what he wants...

"Ruthless Psychopath" Kim Jongin

Age: 24

> There's nothing else to say except that he's a psychopath. He kills, he murders, he is one of the most feared creatures roaming the streets, making him just more intimidating. But here's the catch- he _does_ care about people, and he is a sucker for strong girls. He cares about people who care about him too, and that's just who you are- a strong girl, who cares about him. You just _had_ to attract the worst kid of attention...

"Killer's Friend" Zhang Yixing

Age: 23

> It's weird. You were supposed to be his friend's catch, the girl his _friend_ wanted. He was just the supporting side character. He'd been a supporting side character all his life, but it didn't bother him- until now, when you came. He'd been assigned to the task of caring for you, but the problem was he'd never seen anything like you before- and he felt attracted to it. He knew him trying to be the main character would get him in more trouble than he could handle, but he just couldn't do it...


	2. Introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where did the pixie come from?

Seoul was tainted.

It was rotten to the core, everything suffering, and just so _wrong._ The leaders, the big businesses, were corrupted, trading money behind their backs, making secret deals that wouldn't affect the city very nicely. And the crimes- _god, the crimes._

Just today he had seen three women almost raped, and once he had been forced to draw his gun. Twice he had almost been stabbed. Sex, murder, violence, all of these controlled the people in the city, and filled it with hate.

Hell, they called _him_ violent, murderous, uncontrollable, and turned him into public enemy no. 1, for trying to help as many people as possible. He knew he was no Batman- guns, knives, he used them all- but he at least _tried._ The public, as far as he knew, just wanted a scapegoat. And he just had to be it, not the corrupt politicians or the criminals or anything.

It didn't help that there was a new villain in the city, rumored to be one of the scariest- a sort of Joker, he thought. He was charming yet crazy, wickedly double-sided. But these were only flitting shadows, only rumors. _Every damn time_ Baekhyun turned up to a scene, the so-called "Joker" was gone. Disappeared. Not a trace.

God, this was so _fucking_ annoying!

Baekhyun growled in frustration as he swept his white-blond hair away from his eyes. Joker was the villain, not him!

In fact, he liked to think of himself as a sort of Jason Todd for the city- not afraid to use violence, yet taking care of criminals just fine. He wouldn't care about the means if it meant cleansing this city once and for all.

He spun the guns in his hands and looked down at Seoul, perching on the windowsill. The rough wind roared in his ears but that didn't bother him as much as the constant honking of cars that could be heard even from this high up- he _hated_ car honking sounds. That was part of the reason why he owned a motorcycle.

Sighing again, loudly and exaggeratedly, he ran his fingers through his hair, and with a final look back at the bright yet dark city, he leaped over the side of the windowsill.

* * *

You stretch languidly as you walk into the Seoul police building. Today is a _very_ nice day, with birds chirping and blue skies and all that shit. But you can't care less, because- guess what!- you have _just_ finished a bloody, gory case!

Simpler words? Dobby is free!

Okay. Maybe you're overreacting a bit. But honestly speaking, you are sick of looking at the gouged out eyes of Joker's victim or the engraved cuts on their legs or the severed ears or anything else, really. You've never been fond of blood and gore, although yes, you are a detective and see these kind of things a lot.

Right now, though, your investigation is over, and all you can think about is _what should I do with my free time now that I am finished with a case?_

There are many options. Hang out with Yeollie? Get set up on a date (since it's been ages since you've had a love life)? Go to a few parties?

_Anything but taking on a stupid new fucking case!_ You think sarcastically.

_Which,_ you duly note, means that you will probably get a new case sometime tomorrow. But hey, enjoy the time while you still can, right?

You hum to yourself and push open the glass doors.

Grinning cheerfully and looking forwards to the day, you're just about to set your foot on the first step (not like you haven't filed reports about getting elevators here) when a large hand grabs your briefcase, lifting it high above you and out of your reach.

_Damn, he's tall._

Pouting, you look up to be greeted with the sight of Chanyeol smiling at you impishly, his dimples prominent on his face as he holds up both your bags in a single hand.

"Annyeong, (Y/N)-ah!" He says, in the most adorable way possible, and beams.

Ah. Yes.

Chanyeol, you should explain, is your co-worker- your partner, you should say- in the police force. The two of you are very effective when working together, and so he has been your co-worker of about three years, ever since you got out from university (part of the reason that half the police department finds the two of you a _"perfect couple")._ He's one of the most adorable human beings you've ever seen, and frankly, you wouldn't be wrong if you said you found him cute. The attractive kind of cute.

But that's a story for another day. You throw your arms around him, affectionately, and he hugs you back. He smells as he always does; chocolate and aftershave.

"Good morning." You laugh as he slings an arm around you. "What's up?"

"The sky." He replies in his deep voice, as smoothly as ever. "And your suitcase. _Shortstack._ "

"Thanks," You roll your eyes at his bad joke and add, _"Dumbo."_

"Hey, you love me." He replies, and kisses your cheek, sending a pleasant buzz of warmth down your face. You laugh and kiss him back.

"That I do." You pet his cotton candy pink hair. He's intent on dying his hair every available color in the world, from silver (half a year ago) to grey to blue to red to- yes, pink. It all looks infuriatingly good on him.

And also, he's been trying to convince you to get _your_ hair dyed too- which, strictly saying, you would like, but not the flamboyant colors Chanyeol suggests, such as neon green, blood red and bright yellow.

"So," He says, his fingers absentmindedly playing with your hair, "You ready for the case report we're supposed to work on?"

"Um," Speaking of hair, you _really_ need a haircut. You pause to shake the curly onyx locks out of your vision. "I finished the case yesterday night."

He cocks his head and pauses on the stairs. "Already? That was due next week!"

You nod. "I thought we could use some free time, so I got it done as soon as possible."

"Ah," Chanyeol sighs and nuzzles his face into your hair, "I could marry you _right now._ This is great news!"

"Free time _is_ great news." You agree, and as the two of you reach the second floor turn a left. The two of you sit right next to each other (which is necessary since you work together, but is also bad news because the two of you together means a _lot_ of noise) so he plops your suitcase down right next to his and collapses into his chair. You do the same.

"Now," Chanyeol says with a mischievous glint in his eyes, rubbing his hands together, "What do you want to do?"

* * *

"Seriously?" Chanyeol groans. "I thought we would go somewhere fuuuuuun."

He stretches the word _fuuuuun_ into about five syllables, pouting adorably as the two of you enter the bakery. "Like a swimming pool." He adds, "Or an... amusement park."

"We are not going to a swimming pool on the job, Chanyeol!" You laugh, grabbing his hand and leading him towards your favourite seat. "Stop it, you big... baby."

He gives you another big pout, downturned lips and all, and slouches in his seat. "Or an amusement park." He muttered.

You laugh. The two of you had decided to go to a cafe (or bakery, whatever) after you'd submitted the correct forms and reports to your boss, and you had mistakenly recommended your favourite. You come here often, to read or to chill or to get away from gross pictures of severed body parts. It's like a little alcove, cozy and just the way you liked it.

Except, you probably shouldn't have come here- Chanyeol is awfully loud when he's bored, and clingy.

Plus, you know the owner. He's a friend of yours, and is intent on giving you free stuff even if you decline as politely (and rudely, sometimes) as you can. You don't want to affect his customers with the twenty-four year old baby next to you.

"Wait here, Chan. I'm going to get coffee." You tell him sternly, hands on your hips, and he perks up.

"Coffee?"

Trying to keep up your stern face, you fail and laugh, petting his head. He's just too cute when excited- like a puppy. With big ears and fluffy hair. Just _irresistible._

"And cake." You add, heading towards the counter. "D.O-yah?"

A pause, and the familiar guy scurries out from behind the pastries. "Annyeong (Y/N)-ah."

"Annyeong!" You lean over the counter to give him a hug. He carries the scent of fresh bread and something sugary sweet (like icing), as always, and also has a smudge of flour on his cheek, which just makes him look more endearing. You pull away, hands still on his shoulders, and look at him up and down. He's dressed in his work clothes, an apron over his usual shirt.

He smiles, giving you his trademark heart-shaped grin.

Do Kyungsoo is the owner of the cafe, your friend, and your neighbor. He's been your neighbour ever since you moved into your apartment, and since then he's been nothing but helpful- you've found out that he's an excellent cook, and he's invited you over a few times to "try out" his new dishes. They all taste good, of course. He's kind, considerate, and doesn't talk very much- which makes him a good listener, and an even better friend.

"You've come for coffee?" He questions. Oh, he knows you too well.

You grin. "Two, actually. One for my friend." You hand him the money, but he's very still for a moment. Then-

His head whips up. "Friend?"

You nod. "Chanyeol. Over there." You point to the tall man, who, to your horror, is currently trying to balance the menu on his head while poking himself with those table decoration cacti. "Um... he's not as weird as he looks."

"Sure." He sticks out his lower lip and you can't help it- laughing, you lean over to wipe the smudge off his cheek with your thumb.

"That is _not_ good for business." You laugh, and he gives you a sheepish grin.

"I was busy."

You poke his cheek. "Of _course,_ baker-ssi. Please get right back to your work."

Kyungsoo gives you a playful salute, and laughing, the two of you part. "See you later, neighbor."

* * *

He crouches down next to the man on the floor. His mouth smells like alcohol, and there is a lipstick smudge on his cheek. The man is almost normal, if not for the blood pooling around him. The liquid is still sticky and uncomfortably warm, which is the only proof that he has been dead for only a short period of time. A broken glass of wine is shattered all over the street next to him, and the lamppost is splattered with flecks of blood that he knows from experience will _never_ come out unless the paint is recoated.

"He's dead, all right," Yixing announces, and sighs. "But did you have to do it so brutally?"

Kai doesn't answer, and when Yixing turns he sees that he's rifling through the jacket of the dead man distractedly. "A photo- eww. Knife-ooh, and score- cash!" He waves a wallet at the other male. "Money."

"Could you _please_ pay attention, Kai? I said-"

"Shut it, pixie." The green-haired killer snorts. "I know what you said. Also, I'm the one in charge and I say it was fun to kill him that way."

"You rammed a knife down his throat. That's fun?" Lay asks, almost out of routine. He knows Kai will never be convinced that what he did was wrong. He just says these things out of a habit.

Kai makes a _La La Land_ move and swings on the lamppost, not minding the blood smeared onto his hands. He then turns, and gives Yixing a big smile, his bloodstained lips glinting in the dim artificial light. "Mm-hmm. Totally."

Yixing sighs. "You're hopeless."

"So are you, pixie." He crouches down, next to the dead man, and sniffs. "Speaking of _hopeless,_ remember last time? That dead guy?"

"Which one?"

"The one with the eyeballs."

"Yes. That one." Lay bites his lip, remembering the gouged out sockets, the tears running free and mingling with the blood. He hesitates, afraid to ask, then asks, "Why?"

Kai slicks back his hair, and sighs exaggeratedly. "The police keep chasing after me and ruining my fun. They found out it was me who did the eyeball thing!"

"Oh." Yixing frowns. "Are you okay? Were you caught?"

Unlike what his exterior demeanor would seem like, Yixing cares for Kai. No matter if he is a crazy psychopath or not. He feels protective.

Kai shrugs. "No. But stillllll....." He pouts and crosses his arms. "There's this one lady in the police force I find _so_ annoying. Always trying to make everything not fun!"

Yi xing's eyes widen, and his heart lurches dangerously. The fact that Jongin has picked someone out specifically and is talking about them means that they will probably die in a month or so, give or take. He is paying _special attention_ to them.

This is not a good thing.

"But there's still a lot of fun to do, right?" Yixing encourages softly, eyes turned down. He can't let this person get targeted by Jongin- that's worse than death. He'd rather Kai kill more people than set his eyes on one specific person. Especially if it's a girl. "We should get going."

Kai springs up. "You're absolutely right! I'm wasting my time. I must get going."

He skips off, and only then does Lay breathe a sigh of relief- he prays to God that whoever the person is, should lay low for a few months.

Or it might result in something worse than death.


	3. Way Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a Chanyeol chapter for y'all  
> How u like the story so far?

You shut your laptop with a click, humming as you do so. Work's finished, which means you can go home and sleep for as long as you can fit in until you get pulled up for another case. If you do get another case, you'll just have to hope that the coffee in your system keeps you alive and running.

You slip the computer into your bag and is just about to sling it over your shoulder when your phone rings; you count about seven glances you way from the burst of sound.

"Sorry." You mumble. Setting your bag back down, you give Chanyeol a pointed look _(carry my bag or else)_ before exiting, breath fogging in the cold winter air. It had been warm for the past few days, but nights are just like winter nights; cold, moist, and dark. You lick your parched lips and take the call.

"Hello? This is SCPD Detective Inspector (Y/N) (L/-"

"I think I know who my best friend is, thanks." A voice says teasingly from the other end, and you laugh. You've grown too used to starting every call with those same words. "Jongdae!"

"(Y/N)." He replies, and you can almost hear his smirk. You roll your eyes. "Why'd you call?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you've finished work." He says, in an extra-sly voice that says, _I've known when your work finishes for the past three years._

"Yeah, right," You say, sarcastically, because out of the five elements- fire, water, earth, air, and sarcasm- sarcasm is your favorite one.

"OK, fine." He grimaces. "Movie night."

Movie night. You laugh.

_Movie_ _night_ is one of those days when one of you randomly show up at each other's apartments, with a movie, and the two of you basically curl up on the couch with a big tub of snacks, whether it be popcorn, chips, or even dinner (long story). It's started ever since the two of you have gotten separate apartments, and he just _loves_ them. You like them too, especially since you get to spend quality time with Jongdae, but today? Not so much.

"I need to sleep, Chennie." You groan. "I'm sorry but I haven't had a proper sleep in days."

"But..." He sighs. "But I _really wanna_!" He sounds remarkably sad.

"I know, Dae, but-"

"You can sleep with me."

Silence.

"Not in, uh, that way, as in the sleep with me between two people who are oppositely attracted, but, uh-" He's blabbering coherently- you can almost imagine his reddened face, red to the tips of his ears. "I meant _sleep with me_ as in sleep while we turn on a movie and, uhm-"

You laugh. "You're making it worse. And still no."

"But I brought the new movie." He's pouting and whining now in that cute way, and he knows it. "And it's that movie you couldn't watch because you had shifts in SCPD."

"There are a _lot_ of movies I want to watch, Dae-yah." You scoff, but internally you're hanging onto your crumbling resolves with all your might- _I need to sleep early today-_ and trying not to be seduced over to the dark side by his cute voice. "You gotta specify."

He giggles. "Got this? It's- drum roll-"

You wait patiently, because you're a nice friend.

_"Frozen 2."_ He whispers, super dramatically.

What's left of your resolve vaporizes to dust like Thanos snapping his fingers. Disney movie nights with Jongdae are invaluable- you absolutely _adore_ them, and he knows so too.

"Okay." You say, a Joker-worthy grin on your face, "What flavor?"

* * *

The chimes jangle as you shut the door to the convenience store, a packet of unpopped popcorns dangling from a plastic baggie in your hand.

"You didn't have to come with me, Chan." You say, stuffing the popcorn into your bag. "Neither did you have to buy me anything _._ "

He shakes his head. "(Y/N)-ah, you're a cop, you should know how dangerous-"

"But-" You open your mouth to argue but he shushes you. "It's _dangerous,_ (Y/N)-ie."

You scowl. "I can fully well protect myself-"

"-and I know it-"

"-then why do you have to-"

"-because it's still unsafe, especially as a young lady-"

"-then it's unsafe for you too, because _you're_ a young lady too-"

He stares at you.

"Fine." You pout, crossing your arms. "But I'm not talking to you."

He laughs good naturedly. He knows by now the threat means nothing- you've been threatening to _not talk to him_ since the first time you met, and you've never fulfilled the threat.

"Hurry up." You say. "I need to be home before ten."

"Fine, shortstack."

"Dumbo."

He watches overhead as the lights flicker. "I'm pretty sure we need to take a taxi, though."

"It's a seven-minute walk away, Yeollie." You frown. "I don't need a taxi."

"It's late." Chanyeol looks at you and for a moment his face is full of concern- concern for _you-_ until he masks it up with his usual playfulness. "First one to catch a taxi gets to choose lunch tomorrow!"

"Hey!" You laugh. "Wait up, Yeol!"

He grabs your hand and slips his fingers between yours- his hands are big, but fit right into yours like a puzzle sliding into place- and you can feel an electric shock on your hand before he tugs you along to the taxi that pulled up.

"Hello." He says, sliding into the backseat (well-mannered as ever.) Chanyeol asks the driver, a kind-looking elderly man, to take them home, but you can't stop staring- at his tousled pink hair, his wide double-lidded eyes, his curious grin, but most of all the sensation of his hand on yours, soft skin against skin and his fingers laced with yours like a knot that's never going to be undone.

"What're you looking at?" He snaps you out of your stupor and you realize with a blush that you've been blatantly staring at him for the past minute.

You shake your head. "Nothing."

"You sure? I thought you were staring at my handsome face." He wiggles his eyebrows and you grin.

"You're hopeless."

"Maybe." He blows you a kiss. "Aw, love ya too." He grabs you around the waist and pulls you against him, and you feel heavenly in the back of the rickety old taxi, his arms around you. His warmth is pressed up against you, so close you can feel each other's heartbeats- you let out something like a little sigh in his arms, feeling like you could melt into them.

"I'm tired."

"So am I." He yawns. "That damnedest Joker."

"That damnedest Joker." You agree. "I wonder how many hours of sleep we'll get."

"Three?" He suggests.

"I go for two."

Both of you must be delirious, because the two of you start to laugh; and then the car lurches and he grabs hold of you, his arm tightening around your waist. The two of you laugh harder.

"Four?" You suggest, hopefully, between laughs, and he snorts, his arm loosening around you again. "I bet on four, maybe less."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Sure thing, Watson." You giggle, poking his cheek.

He gives you an incredulous look- you know as a fact that he hates being called a sidekick of any sort.

"Hey! You-"

The car lurches to a stop. "We're here," The driver announces. He looks back at the two of you and smiles, crow's feet wrinkling around his elderly eyes. "Ah, young love. Enjoy it while you can."

You laugh harder at Chanyeol's surprised face. His face grows red, and he stammers, "I'm not- we're not- it's not-" before handing you a wad of cash and exiting the taxi. He crosses his arms and pouts.

"Um," You count out the cash and hand them to the driver. "Thank you. He's very nice to me."

"I can tell." The taxi driver says, and takes your money. You're just about to exit the taxi when the driver calls you back; "Oh, and miss?"

You turn back, hand freezing on the side of the vehicle. The driver has one arm slung against the shotgun seat and is looking back towards you; you see that unlike the rest of him, his eyes are bright and intelligent, not fit for an old man like him.

"Be careful of that Joker, miss. You can never be safe in Seoul." He sounds absolutely serious.

"You said that right." You laugh, nervously, brushing your hair behind your face. "Be safe, ajeoshi."

It's only until he leaves when you realize that only SCPD knows about the Joker.

* * *

"Are you sure I can drop you off here?"

"I'm sure!" You say, huffing, and plant your hands on your hips. "I'm _not_ six years old, Chanyeol!"

He huffs, too. "I'm just worried."

"Don't be." You laugh softly.

"Hmm." He takes your face into his hands, cupping your cheeks against his warm palms, and looks into your eyes- peering at you through his long lashes. "Be careful. Good night, (Y/N)."

You cover his hands with yours and go on your tiptoes to brush your lips against his cheek. "For the last time, I'll be fine."

He begrudgingly stares at you. "Hmm." He says, sounding disbelieving.

"I told you," You say, stepping away from him. "I will. Now _good night, Chanyeol._ " You emphasize the last few words, laughing and pushing him away.

"Is it wrong that I want to spend more time with you?" He puts a hand over his heart, making a sad face.

"You're hopeless." The two of you are standing right outside your apartment now, the light hitting your back and illuminating his face. You hug him. "Good night, Yeollie."

"G'night." He shrugs, and flashes you one last grin before heading back towards his own flat.


	4. Ding Dong Ditching

You turn the key in your lock and yawn again, pushing the door open with your shoulder. The lights are on in the living room, your bed room and the kitchen, but nowhere else- taking off your shoes, you notice another pair, clean white sneakers, set neatly next to your rows of shoes. You grin.

"I'm home." You call out, rather out of habit, and most nights you know no one responds but this time there's someone who does.

A familiar man pads into your line of vision, dressed in a hoodie and tracksuit bottoms and holding a cup of coffee and a remote controller. "Well that's about time," He says. "I'd started to think you'd never come."

He smirks, and you grin at him. Kim Jongdae, the man in front of you, is your best childhood friend and uni colleague. The two of you've been friends ever since middle school, when the two of you had been paired up for a music project, and you'd been inseparable ever since: right now, though, he's working his way to fame through singing on YouTube with the stage name of Chen, and to your delight he's been pulled up by about four different companies. It's a good thing, too; you've heard his singing and it's _heavenly._

"Jongdae!" You squeal, and launch yourself into his arms. Laughing, he neatly catches you and holds onto you by your waist as you burrow your face into his sweater, which has the comforting smell of _him_ all over it.

"Hey, missed you too." He jokes, and sets you down. You grin up at him. "Someone seems eager to see me."

You roll your eyes, but laugh anyway. "Nah. I'm just excited to see the movie." Though when catching sight of his pout, you can't help it; you ruffle his hair and coo at him. "Joking, joking! God, you're too adorable."

"Tell me something I don't know." He gives you a cat-like smirk.

Laughing, you punch his arm but toss him the popcorn. "Get these popped, Dae."

He gives you a mock salute and heads into the kitchen; with a roll of your eyes, you head towards the bedroom before realizing the lights are on- assuming that Jongdae's gone into your room, you enter to find that your assumptions, yes, are correct: your friend's phone is on your bedside table and the sheets are wrinkled, as if he'd taken a nap on them. _Like a cat,_ you note, and smile to yourself as you look inside your drawers for something to wear. There are just too many similarities between Jongdae and your feline friends.

Digging around in your drawer, you find a pair of simple black leggings and Jongdae's T-shirt from the last time he came over. You throw them on instead of your work clothes (work clothes, ugh) and follow the scent of buttery goodness to the kitchen.

"That smells so good, I could eat popcorn breakfast, lunch and dinner." You note, resting a hand on Chen's shoulder. He puts an arm around you.

"That's why you're my best friend," He says with earnestly, and the two of you laugh. "Nice shirt, by the way."

"Thanks." You say nonchalantly. "Next time, make sure to leave that hoodie here, I like it quite a bit."

He snorts. "Next you're going to tell me to leave myself here."

You flutter your eyelashes innocently. "Oh, please do. You're nice to cuddle with and I'm tired." On the last note, you let out a huge yawn.

"Fifty bucks and a box of fruit loops that you're going to fall asleep watching the movie."

"I'm not taking _that_ bet." You laugh. "As much as I like Disney-"

The microwave dings.

"You like popcorn better." He finishes, and takes out the bowl of popcorn. "C'mon. We can put that fluffy blanket on."

"Hmm." You mumble, and plop down on the couch; where Chen joins you, drawing the blanket around the two of you. He puts an arm around you, drawing you closer, and starts the movie.

You're enthralled in it, at the two siblings who seem like they can get together through thick or thin (secretly hoping that could be your life)- but you're also enthralled in the way Jongdae's arm curves around your waist delicately and lands on the side of your navel, warm but electrifying against the sliver of bare skin that shows on your hips.

You keep watching, and for some reason it's a child's movie but it's so fun. And plus, Elsa's outfit.... _wow._ You could only _wish_ you had a dress that fits like that.

But even with the fun and laughs, half an hour into the movie and you're already starting to feel sleepy; you try to convince yourself that you have to stay awake to finish the movie, but it's useless. Rubbing the droopiness out of your eyelids, you let out another penetrating yawn.

Jongdae laughs. "Someone's feeling sleepy."

You pout. "I'm so _tired,_ Chennie." You whine, snuggling further into his comfortable hoodie. "I don't know why I took this job."

"Because you like it?" He suggests.

You groan. "I hate your logic."

He laughs. "Because I'm always right?" He rests his head on top of yours.

"Shut up, Dae." You grumble. "I don't-"

"All this arguing is wasting your time." He mumbles. "You should try to catch some sleep."

"You're right." You admit, and rest your head against his chest, his thumping heartbeat lulling you to sleep. He kisses your forehead.

You feel the room spinning, your eyelids close shut, and the last thing you can see is Jongdae's face smiling at you softly as if you're the most beautiful thing in the world.

Then you're alseep.

* * *

You;re having the most wonderful dream about devouring a plate full of flapjacks that was made Do Kyungsoo style (believe you when you say it's different. For some reason, yours tastes like moldy ash while his tastes soft and buttery with just the right amount of- okay, you get the point). You're just about to take another huge bite when a ringing interrupts you. You groan.

"Mmhmmff." You grumble, wrapping your arms around your pillow. It's soft and warm, just the way you like it; until, well, it begins to move.

The ringing starts again.

"Wha- what?" Someone yawns, and you feel your pillow rustling further. You peek open one eye but close it again, immediately, due to the bright light. "(Y/N)-ie, I think it's your doorbell."

"Idunwannagotoworkkkk-" You mumble. This is just too comfortable, and you don't want to leave.

"It's four in the morning, who's at the door?" The same man grumbles. You feel like that's a familiar voice. And with all the willpower of all of humanity, you open your eyes.

And find out that, the pillow you're hugging is not a pillow but Jongdae. He is surprisingly comfortable for a man who has abs.

"You're weirdly cushy." You mumble, and slide down so that your head is resting on his lap. "I like it."

"Hey, you can use me as your pillow any time." He winks and you giggle, kissing his jaw. He stiffens a little, but just so that you don't notice.

"You're so adorable." You laugh. "I could-"

Something rings again and you rub your eyes, frowning. "Ugh. Who's ringing the bell in this ungodly hour of the day?"

He kicks the blanket off the two of you. "Ungodly." He agrees. "Who would-"

The bell rings again and you sit up with a frown on your face. "I don't _wanna._ " You pout, crossing your arms. But still, since it might be work, you get up and head towards your door. Jongdae follows.

"Who is this?" You grumble. "I swear, if this is the goddamn ding dong ditching kids again-"

Jongdae laughs. "They _ding dong ditch_ your house?"

"Mhmm." You nod. "I swear, so annoying-"

You open the door, and the words go all the way back down your throat.

"Ah," You say, but that's all you can manage.


	6. Making Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chen is adorable :)

You peek your head out behind the door stare at Chanyeol, who's standing at your door in full attire, tie and all.

"Ah." You say, but that's all you can force out. You pray to god Chanyeol doesn't see Jongdae next to you, because that's sure as hell going to raise a shitload of questions. Sure, they've met before, but you are _really_ unsure of how he'll react of Jongdae being in your house, at four o'clock in the morning, while you're wearing his shirt.

"You didn't-" He falters as he scans you down. You stare at him and realize he's staring at your leggings, which, admittedly, are a bit tight around your ass and show your curves beautifully. You snap your fingers, bringing his attention back to _you._

"You didn't get the call?" He asks, as soon as he regains his composure.

"What call?" You fumble for your phone, and realize it's on the coffee table. "Never mind. I had a call?"

"The police department called us. Ten minutes ago." He laughs at your expression. "I thought you were sick or something."

You shake your head. "I'm fine. What's wrong? A case?"

He grimaces. "One murder, middle-aged man. Cause of death by impalement."

Your blood runs cold and you can feel a migraine coming so you sigh deeply and take your face in your hands. There's been more and more murders ever since that blasted Joker started going around, and you're tired as hell trying to investigate everything. "Joker again?"

"Yep."

"Aigo, seriously-" You rub your eyes and sigh. "Ugh, I'm so sorry Chanyeol. I was busy and everything-"

"It's all right. Just get changed and be there till four thirty. We have to-" He frowns, looking somewhere next to you. "Oh."

_What?_ You look where he's looking and find Jongdae staring straight back at Chanyeol. What the hell?

"Chanyeol!" Jongdae grins. "Hi."

"Annyeong, Jongdae." He says, and turns to you. "(Y/n)-ah, civilians aren't supposed to-"

"Hey!" You cross your arms, trying to figure out what's the issue with him. "You didn't even tell him the details! And plus, he's going to read the papers, he's going to know this anyway-"

"Nah, I'm fine." Jongdae raises his hands in a _shoot me_ gesture. "I'll wait in your room."

You run your hands through your hair, staring between the two of them. As if your job isn't in enough jeopardy, your personal life is going through issues too. There's obvious tension between the two of them, which is weird because the last time you introduced the two of them they got along more than fine; as _fine_ as one could get. They had even exchanged numbers but now? Chanyeol looks weird, his usual perky self is a bit... _unperky_. Jongdae gives you a grin before disappearing down the corridor.

As soon as he's out of sight, Chanyeol gives you a nervous grin, "What's he doing here?"

You want to scream, _none of your business!_

"Personal stuff." You say, and cut it at that.

"Should I wait for you?"

_"No."_ You say, patiently, trying not to yell _Just go, what the hell!_

"Um..." He blinks, catching onto your mood. "So... um, be safe." He leans down to kiss your cheek and leaves, shutting the door behind him as he goes.

You take a deep breath. It's not only the fact about Jongdae and Chanyeol that's shaking you up, this is much more serious: Joker keeps killing people, and horribly so. Eyes gouged out, suffocated, covered from head to toe with burns, you've seen too much of his so-called "masterpiece" to be comfortable anymore, and you don't know why you even bother. It's obvious who the criminal is (Joker) and everyone knows he's too damn smart for his steps to be retraced.

Frustrated, you punch the wall, causing a _thump._ You ignore the pain flaring up in your wrist and hand- the dead man suffered more pain than this, probably- and cross your arms. You know you should hurry but you've got to get rid of the white-hot ball of frustration and anger in your chest first- emotions and the job do not mix well.

"(Y/N)-ah?" A soft voice asks, and you look up from your feet to see Chen standing there, a pile of your neatly folded clothes in his hands. He drops them. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." You scoff. "Just gimme my clothes."

"(Y/N), you don't seem okay."

"Well I am." You say, coldly.

He moves towards you, frowning, but you flinch away from him. "(Y/N), tell me what's wrong."

"I can't, because _nothing's_ wrong." You roll your eyes. You can feel the frustration growing larger in the pit of your stomach. It doesn't help that Jongdae's being so nice, too- you can't be mad at someone that's so kind, and that's even _more_ frustrating.

"You punched a wall."

"Duh, genius!" You say, sarcastically. "It hurts like shit, thank you for asking!"

"C'mon, (Y/N)nie..." He tries to reason with you, his voice pleading. He surges forwards to put a hand on your arm but you push him away, snarling. This is _so fucking annoying, everyone is acting like shit and you feel like tearing your hair out-_

"I'm _fine!_ " You snap. "Jeez, I need to stop that fucker so _get out of my way!_ "

"(Y/N)..." He gapes at you, at you can see him shaking a little. You can feel tears coming out and you squeeze them back because you have to _concentrate on your job, even though it's so dirty it's your dirty job and Joker's being such a dick by ruining it and everybody is, too-_

"Stop being so fucking annoying and whiny, Kim Jongdae, or I swear I will shoot you!" You yell. You grab your clothes and head into your room, where you slam the door shut as hard as you can, causing the hinge to rattle.

"Fucking hell." You growl to yourself.

You change as quickly as you can, trying not to punch another wall when the buttons won't button, or when you can't put on your jacket properly. Your hand is already a bit swollen and you carefully maneuver the said hand so that it doesn't hurt, especially when you're changing- but finally you've finished changing, and you grab your gun from your drawer, along with the holster and your badge, before heading towards the door.

Just as you're about to reach for the door, there's a soft knock, and you open the door to find yourself face-to-face with a red-eyed, worried Chen.

"(Y/N)nie? You okay?" He asks, clearly concerned. You're about to push him away and stomp out of the house but you freeze in the middle of stretching your hand out, because you realize how unfair this is for him; sure, you're pissed, and you've been going through a lot of stress, but this is your _best friend._ You've just yelled at your best friend because you _felt like it,_ called him annoying, and threatened to shoot him. Hell, he's even been crying- you can see his slightly puffy, reddened eyes, the telltale mark of crying. But even through that, he seems concerned for you.

Dammit, you're such a bad person.

"Yeah." You say, a lump in your throat. Suddenly Joker doesn't seem so bad anymore- you're probably worse. "Dammit, Dae-yah. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." He mumbles. "I know you needed to vent a little."

You rush forwards and hug him tightly, squeezing your eyes shut- Jongdae's arms go around you slowly, after a bit. "I'm so sorry Jongdae, I was an asshole to you. I love you so much and I'm sorry."

You wonder how long he's going to hold a grudge. Three days? A week? Not two, certainly?

"'s okay." He mumbles. "I love you too."

"I love you I love you I love you and I'm sorry!" You cry, and you mean every word of it. "Jongdae I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, I love you too." He laughs shakily and squeezes you tighter, and you can hear him sniffling with relieved tears.

You pull away after a few minutes. Jongdae is grinning at you, cat-like as ever, and you feel a surge of love for him- for this beautiful man that is friends with an idiot like you- that you reach over and kiss him, on the mouth. Just a peck.

His eyes widen and you can't blame him. The only reason why you're doing this is because of your weird emotions right now, the first and only time you had kissed was when the two of you had been drunk, at a college party, in spin the bottle, where everyone makes their worst decisions ever. God, but you couldn't help but admit that drunk Jongdae was the hottest thing you've ever seen.

"I love you." You tell him quietly.

He's quiet for a bit, then he says, "I love you too."

You smile at him, and then notice the clock- "SHIT!"


	7. Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I seem to have developed a system of having chapters for every member so here's a Kyungsoo one for y'all cuz we all luv Kyungsoo and his "jujitsu" ;)  
> Also btw if Kyungsoo is a bit OOC forgive me plez

You rub your eyes, about to nearly spontaneously combust. You've been working on this case for three days straight now, from looking at what type of knife Joker used _(NOT going to state what he used it for)_ to analyzing- get this- the dirt on the ground, as it may have been on the criminal's shoes.

You've barely had time to sleep as well as eat, and right now you're _starving_. You had a dried apple slice while working on your case, which is horrible since you hate dried food (it's like they're feeding you dog food) and apples, which, in your opinion, are like pears with plastic surgery (too crunchy, too sweet and too colorful).

Oh, the horrors. You've taken ten-minute showers every day and probably slept about five hours in the past three days. You look like _crap,_ and have used about half a pound of concealer trying to hide the dark circles under your eyes.

Welp, you could really use some of Kyungsoo's flapjacks right now. You internally melt at the thought of them, steaming hot and heaped onto your plate, and then a picture of a bloody knife flashes in front of your eyes and you groan, settling back in your chair.

You groan. Your officer yells across the room. "(Y/N), I _need_ those analysis papers on my desk in two hours!"

"Sure!" You shout back, and scramble up, typing furiously as you wait for the results of the analysis to load. You have no idea what you're typing- you're pretty sure it says something about the knife being commonly sold in about fifty different places in the city- so you lean over your desk. "Chanyeol?"

"(Y/N)nie?" He looks up from the past case files. You can see this is having an affect on even him, the most cheerful, energy-filled person you know- you can see dark bags under his eyes, so much you want to lend him your concealer, and he's wearing a worn-out smile that makes him look like a kicked puppy.

One look at him, though, and all thoughts of asking him for help disappear. He's just simply too busy himself, for one thing, and he's been treating you better than he's been treating himself so far.

"Nothing." You scoot over in your office chair and give him a hug. "You're doing great."

He grins at you and you can see the beagle in him again, the one that teases you about being short and loves to put his arm around you. "You're absolutely right."

"You adorable you." You laugh and kiss his forehead.

"(L/N)! PARK! BACK TO WORK!"

"Darn, we're like slaves." Chanyeol mutters to you, before going back to work. You laugh and go back to typing, and have just gotten about fifty more words in your word count when your cellphone rings.

You grimace. Most calls you've been getting is from reporters, and you absolutely _despise_ reporters. There's just something about them that bugs you. Probably their prodding nature, and their sharp looks, and their criticism, and-

You take the call.

"Hello, this is SCPD Detective Inspector (Y/N) (L/N)." You drawl out lazily, one hand over your face as you slump in your chair. "How can I help you?"

"This is your neighbor." A voice says on the other line, and you check the caller ID quickly to make sure you're not hallucinating. "Kyungsoo."

The background sounds a little loud and you hear a loud slapping sound.

"Ah. Kyungsoo!" For his sake, you try to make your voice sound a little more cheerful than you feel. And to convince yourself, grin. "Long time no see."

"Yeah. Sure. Um, I just called to ask whether you're okay?" He asks, worried.

"What makes you give the idea I'm not?"

"I hear they're overworking the police department." He states. "And also..." He trails off nervously. You frown.

"And?"

"In the corridor... I um, heard," He sounds hesitant, but finishes his sentence; "heard that... thing. With your boyfriend."

You say a little too loudly, "He's not my boyfriend!" Chanyeol stares at you, so you just give him a nod and a weary smile. "Anyways... you heard what?"

"The thing about Joker... and being tired... and screaming." He hesitates, then adds, "I don't mean to intrude, but-"

You pinch the bridge of your nose and collapse against your chair. Dammit, so your _neighbor_ even heard. "Did I wake you up?"

"A little, but _I'm_ the one asking if _you're_ okay." Kyungsoo sounds geniunely concerned. You feel a little sorry for him, because even with his own personal dipshit he may or may not be going through in his life, he still finds time to help you.

"I'm fine." You mumble. "Just... tired."

Your stomach growls on cue, and it must have been _really_ loud because Kyungsoo grimaces. "Hmm. Want anything?"

"I'm relatively sure I'm coming home tonight, so if you're interested you can make me some of your heavenly flapjacks again." You pout, even though he can't see. Behind you you can feel someone's eyes on you- Chanyeol?

"Or even better, actual food." He chuckles as you agree happily. "What're you craving?"

"Right now I'd kill for some spaghetti." You groan, imagining Kyungsoo's cooking- it's just... wow.

"Spaghetti it is." He says. You grin. "Thanks, Kyungie."

"Don't overwork yourself, okay?"

"Sure, whatever." You chuckle and hang up on him, turning around. You're sure Chanyeol's watching you carefully but he's on the other end of the office at the printer- you feel like someone's watching you, though. But the only other thing behind you are several empty desks, and a window.

You turn back.

* * *

Dragging your exhausted body out of your car, you groan as you head towards your flat. They'd worked you until you'd ended up exhausted- something that you didn't appreciate. You also didn't appreciate the several times you had been told to go to the morgue to examine the body again and again (life as a biologist sucked).

Sighing, you wait for the lift and idly check your phone- noticing that you have thirty missed messages, probably since you haven't had leisure time in, like, _forever._

Chen has taken up most of those thirty: he has texted you over and over again, starting from "Yoooo" to "Are you alive" and ending as a "how much cash to get her back u stupid kidnapper". You shake your head, laughing. This is just too hilarious.

Then you respond with "Dear Wiemar Republic, six thousand six hundred billion in pounds." because yes, you're a history whiz, and it's fun to see him google up Wiemar Republic and figure out what the hell you're talking about.

And then there's Chanyeol, who has, like a gentleman, asked you whether you're back home yet. You text him back and say yes, you are fine, and no, you are not dead.

Wow, who knew you could be so flattering?

Chuckling to yourself, you tuck your phone back in your pocket as the lift dings to a stop on the first floor. You're just about to get in the lift without looking when a soft laugh comes, directed your way.

"Very tired, huh?" Someone teases, and you snap out of your daze, looking at the person who's addressed you. It's Kyungsoo, standing there with his keys in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. He's dressed in his black turtleneck and jeans, with a cashmere coat over it, and is smiling at you with his heart-shaped lips.

"You wouldn't _believe._ " You sigh, and get into the elevator; he presses the button for you. "What're you doing out so late?"

"Shopping." He holds up the plastic bag, where you can spot soy sauce, tomatoes, a bottle of what looks like wine, and a few more things.

You're just about to ask you why he's shopping so late when it strikes you- he had promised to cook for you. Damn, you feel bad now- it's nearly ten and you didn't want to disrupt his daily sleeping cycle.

"Great." You try your best to look nonchalant. "What's for dinner?"

The elevator dings.

"Spaghetti." He replies, and the two of you turn left, where his door is waiting innocently. He unlocks it and pushes it open, entering; you follow him cautiously, taking off your shoes as you go and placing them neatly on the side.

His house is a decalcomania of yours- that much is pretty obvious, as the two of you literally live in the same apartment; but it's also very different. For one thing, it's decorated in a much cozier way then yours (your house basically just looks like a one-night motel) and also much, _much_ neater.

You do clean your house, occasionally, and you're not like Chanyeol (whose definition of 'clean' is throwing everything into a drawer and hoping you don't notice) but Kyungsoo is beautifully neat. Everything is straight, in order, and speckless; following him through the house, you think, _wow, I wish I was this clean._

Kyungsoo is rifling through the things in the plastic bag, halfway towards the fridge, and he takes out several things before putting the rest on the table neatly. He looks at you, frowning, and says, "You should sit on the couch and rest."

"Hey, I'm going to eat this too, I should help." You cross your arms. "What kind of spaghetti are we making anyway?"

"Aglio E Olio." He replies.

_Say what????_

The only types of spaghetti you know, admittedly, is cream and bolognese, so you stand and stare at the bottles, trying to figure out why he has a huge bottle of olive oil. You're about to turn around and leave when you feel blood rushing to your head; your sight darkens for a moment and you sway- fortunately, Kyungsoo is there to catch you by your arm.

"You okay?" He asks, with furrowed brows. Even though your vision hasn't completely cleared yet you still nod.

"I'm fine. I wanna help." You stubbornly insist, but he shakes his head.

"Go to the couch and wait there." He says. You look at him again, the dots gone from your vision, and gasp; he's put a beige apron on, the one you picked out for him half a month ago, over his black tee and you know he doesn't like being called cute but he's so cute when his brows are furrowed and his lips are downturned in a pout that you laugh and take his face in your hands.

"You're such a cutie, Kyungsoo." You laugh (yeah, you were slightly delirious). He blinks a little, obviously taken back, and blushes in that adorable Kyungsoo way that you just can't help but love.

"Couch." He orders, releasing your arm, but you ignore him and inch behind him, noticing how he tied his apron in a weird knot- grabbing the strings of his apron, you start to tie them together. You yank them tighter- teasing him is just so fun- and he gives you a cute wide-eyed look as you pull him closer by the neat bow you've tied, giggling.

"I wanna help." You whine, resting your hands on his back. "Kyungsoo-yahhhh....."

"You're weird today." He states blatantly. "But the couch."

You cross your arms. "I'm going to change my clothes first."

"But couch after that." He adds, and you pout.

"Fine." You grumble, and he laughs.

* * *

"Yah." Someone's shaking you. "Wake up, (Y/N)-ah."

You try to push them away, your eyes squeezed shut, but they are shaking you stubbornly and you give up, slapping your hands over your face. "No." You grumble.

"Come on, (Y/N)." The said person is shaking you lightly, again, and you make a sound like a dying cat.

"I'm _sleepy._ " You state, and turn away stubbornly.

"Dinner is ready." The voice tries again.

_Dinner?_

You open your eyes, pulling something off you, and sit up. You blink, trying to adjust to the rush of blood in your head, and as your vision clears you see Kyungsoo looking at you expectantly. He's changed into a large white t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, and he's grinning. You look down- the thing that had been covering you is Kyungsoo's coat, which is long enough to cover you if you pull it up to your chest.

"Dinner." You mumble. "Spaghetti?"

"You look tired." He states.

"But food is first." You argue, and look towards the table. Two steaming plates are set on the dining table, as well as the bottle of wine. You smile.

"What're you smiling about?" He asks you.

"Imagining your cooking." You reply, happily, and put an arm around his midsection, herding him towards the table. He is more than happy to oblige, and even pulls the chair out for you as you sit down. You look down at the steaming plate of pasta and realize something.

"There's no sauce on here, though." You say. "Are you sure you're a cook?" Narrowing your eyes at him suspiciously.

He gives you a grumpy look that looks like Garfield the cat, human version. "Of course." He says.

"Relax, Kyungie." You laugh, placing your hand over his on the table; "I'm just messing around."

He looks at you with something like betrayal and you laugh, squeezing his hand. He sheepishly grins and- to your surprise- turns his hand over, his fingers catching yours nimbly, and laces them with yours.

You must have been looking at him, astounded- it's not that you don't like it, it's just that it's very rare- because he looks down at his plate expressionless but with a telltale hinge of pink dusted on his cheeks, and looks down at his plate, picking at his food absentmindedly with a fork.

_Oh, right. Food._

Not wanting to move from the position, you pick up your fork with your other hand- don't worry, you've eaten food left-handed before- and take a huge bite.

And _wow._ Kyungsoo is blessed with the cooking of God, if not God himself than at least one of his angels, because this is _really_ good.

You look up, face bright, and Kyungsoo immediately looks back down at his plate- poor boy, he must have been waiting- so you squeeze his hand and say, "This is _so darn good!_ "

Okay, maybe the swear word was unnecessary.

He smiles in that [bright way ](https://namu.wiki/w/%ED%8C%8C%EC%9D%BC:%EA%BC%AC%EB%A7%88%EC%94%A8%EC%95%97.jpg)that you just love, and you think maybe that's what the happiest man in the world looks like.

"You crazy, sweet boy." You take another bite, not daring to waste another second, and say, "Fiwf if fooo foofing gooh!"

Which he miraculously has to translate as _This is so fucking good!_

He smiles a little. You're about to take another bite when his hand detaches from yours; looking up, you see him holding the bottle of wine instead, and he pops the cork, filling your glass.

"Nice." You say. "Did you learn how to do that the same way you learnt how to do jujitsu?"

He snorts, filling up his own glass. "You taught me that move."

"Well, I didn't pass that physical agility exam for nothing." You laugh, and take a sip of your wine. "Let's see; karate, jujitsu, judo, aikido, taekwondo, MMA..." You trail off, looking at the expression on Kyungsoo's face, his glass halfway towards his mouth. "When I first started off, I was a _really_ paranoid detective, OK? Don't judge."

He shrugs.

"And it's not like you tried out that same move on, like, five different friends including Chanyeol-"

Kyungsoo's eyes widen and he clears his throat. "Um, so how's work?"

"Great," You respond, sarcasm dripping off your voice- "I just _love_ it. I swear, if I become a parent someday, I'd rather them be a drug dealer than a detective."

* * *

The LED clock illuminates eleven thirty. You are very much drunk, and Kyungsoo is a little tipsy too, although less than you.

"I'm tired." You moan. The two of you have moved to the couch- your idea, of course- and you are now leaning against Kyungsoo's chest, your legs tucked underneath you. His arm is around your shoulders, loosely, tentatively.

"And you're wasted." He notes. "How many glasses have you had?"

"Four, five?" You scoff. "How would I know?"

"C'mon." He unwinds his arm around your shoulders and stands up before you, holding out a hand. "We're going back to your flat. You have to get some sleep before tomorrow."

"It's too far away." You whine.

"A corridor away."

"That's what I meant." You grumble. "Where are your glasses, anyway?"

He looks at you strangely. "What?"

"Your glasses. The black round ones with the-" You hiccup. "-thick rims. They look _so cute_ on you-" You pout. "Put them on."

Kyungsoo sighs. "Are you going to go back to your flat if I do?"

You nod excitedly; for some reason, you _really_ want to see Kyungsoo with his glasses. Your drunk brain must be _really_ drunk.

He shrugs and disappears into his room, and you wait patiently, occasionally giggling to yourself- thinking of weird things, no doubt- when you hear footsteps behind you. You turn and Kyungsoo is returning, and he is wearing those _hella adorable glasses._

You squeal. "Oh my god! Look at you!"

He gives you a smile. "Room?"

"Fine." You huff, holding out your arms expectantly. "But help me up."

He puts his hands in yours and helps you up- you stumble as soon as he lets go, and almost falls over when he grabs you again.

"You okay?"

You sway a little, unsteady on your feet. "Nope."

He sighs. "C'mon." He puts an arm around your middle and you lean on him, completely wasted as you drag yourself towards the door. He unlocks it and lets you through.

"I don't think I can go by myself." You point out, and it's true. You have a feeling that one more step would have you kissing the very hard floor.

Wordlessly, he shuts the door behind him as the two of you move towards your door (about four meters away). "Do you have the key?" He asks you, softly.

"I think it's in my hoodie." You vaguely remember thrusting the keys inside of the large pocket on the front of your hoodie before leaving the house. "Can you get it for me?"

He snakes his hand into your pocket and snags the keys, but not before they slide over your stomach. He swallows and turns a little red, quickly turning away and opening the door.

He shuffles you through the door, and follows- clicking the lights on, he herds you towards the sofa but you slap his arm lightly.

"Why do you-" You hiccup. "Like- why- I don't _want the sofa._ " You say, but collapse in it anyway. "I want _my bed."_

Kyungsoo looks at you. "Wait here." He says, and heads towards his own house; he returns with your shoes; something that both of you had forgotten in your haste to get back home. You pout, like a child, and hold your arms up in a _help me up_ gesture; he sighs but helps you up anyway, struggling towards your room.

And in what seems like forever, actually reach it.

"Down you go." He grunts, and slowly places you down on the bed. You kick off your socks and burrow under your covers, glad to be back, your eyes already drooping.

"I'm tired." You grumble, flopping over in your bed.

"Sleep." He places a kiss on your forehead affectionately and turn the lights off. You see his silhouette against the door; his glasses glint from the light outside and you suddenly don't want him to leave.

"Stay." You whisper. He turns back, eyes wide.

"What?"

"Kyungsoo-yah." You mumble, and he takes a few steps backwards, coming to your bedside. "(Y/N)?"

"I want you to stay." You snag his arm and tug at it weakly. "Cuddle."

"I should really be getting-" Drunk you has more strength (and boldness) than normal you do, because you pull him down so that he stumbles and lands on the bed in a sitting position.

"You're cuddly and cute-" You whine. _"Stay."_ You give him your best _aegyo_ look and pout at him. He looks at you hesitantly, than at the door, then you.

Then he gives you a poker-faced look that's like, _what the hell, let's do this,_ and slips into the covers where you are. You can feel his warmth from here, and snuggle against it closer under the blankets. He stiffens a little- and you notice the movement.

"Fine." You huff. "You don't _want_ to cuddle."

Yes, drunk you is very childish, too.

You turn away and lie on your side, huffing, the source of heat gone from your body and leaving you cold even under the blankets, and Kyungsoo softly snakes his arm around your waist, pulling you closer. His breath hits and fans out against the spot right behind your ear and he kisses you there goodnight.

"Night." He mumbles into your ear. You feel a shiver of chills up your spine as you inhale in his scent of fresh bread, coffee, and a bit of cooking.

"G'night." You place your hand on top of his, and completely warm, you drift off into blissful sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comment: Which member do you think (Y/N) has the best chemistry with so far?  
> Don't worry, other members will come out too... ;)

You stir from your sleep, aware of a warm body besides you. For a moment you're back in your childhood, sleepovers with Jongdae and _her,_ and you feel a sudden weight in your heart as you remember.

Dammit, you're not a kid anymore. You shake the grief away and turn around, wondering who's gripping you this tightly, if not for your two childhood friends; turning around, you spot Kyungsoo, his arms around you, mouth parted slightly as his breath hits your neck again and again. You feel flushed as you feel the hotness of his breath on your skin, and the soft hands gripping your hips, drawing you closer.

You study him, in a sort of taciturn way, as you attempt to recall what exactly you did yesterday. You remember drinking a bit, then telling him all about your stupid job, then complaining about how you didn't have a boyfriend, then-

Dammit, the two of you went back to his apartment and you fucking spooned on your bed.

What the hell? What was wrong with drunk you? Who _are_ you when you are drunk, because you're pretty sure (Y/N)(L/N) is never like this.

But as you study Kyungsoo's face, all peaceful and free from worry, you kind of feel happy for him, looking so... tranquil, so you stay there, letting him sleep some more. The hot morning air is making you drift off a little, and you shift slightly to get yourself into a better position when behind you, Kyungsoo starts to stir. You watch with concern and also a little amusement as he finds his hands on you, and then frown. "Wha-"

"Morning." You incline your head, trying to look as graceful as possible- but you just can't help it, you start to giggle at his puzzled look.

"What am I doing here?"

"Sleeping."

He frowns, trying to process the information, then his eyes widen. "Did I- did we-" His face turns a little red and then he looks down at the covers, hesitantly.

"No, Do Kyungsoo, we did not have sex." You poke his nose and laugh. "I'm pretty sure my drunk self kidnapped you into bed."

He blinks. "Um." Then: "How are you not hungover?"

You shrug, laughing. More than once has everybody asked this, and boy, you are used to it by now. "Genetics. I studied biology in uni, I should know."

"Biology?" He raises an eyebrow. You notice that even though he is conscious he has not removed his arm around you. Well, that's progress.

"One year of training, field medic." You grin. "Just fulfills your sexual fantasies of roleplaying with a sexy nurse, doesn't it?"

His face turns red- like it always when you mention sex. "I wasn't- I would never-"

"Joking." You laugh, and kiss his cheek. "We better get up."

"I suppose." He mumbles, burying his face into the crook of your neck. You gasp a little, small enough so that he can't hear, and let your eyes flutter closed, electricity sparking up your spine as his breath fans out against the nape of your neck. "You have nice hair."

"Th- thanks." _Kyungsoo is a morning person. Noted._

His finger twirls a strand of it. "What do you want for breakfast?"

You shrug. "Coffee and toast would be good."

"Coffee and toast it is, then." He grins, and you inwardly yell in elation- how did you manage to bed such a fine specimen of male? "You're too good to me."

"Because work is too bad for you." He shrugs. You're just about to agree wholeheartedly when your phone rings from the bedside; picking it up, you see Chanyeol's name flashing across the screen, and take it.

"Hello?" You groan.

"Wow, you're an early bird, aren't you?" The other chuckles. You roll your eyes.

"Mmhmm. Was your whole purpose of calling to annoy me?"

He laughs, and you can hear shuffling, then he says, "That'd be great, but no. Work."

"Work." You grumble. "Always. Work, work, work. What are we, slave detectives in a human trafficking factory?" Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Kyungsoo chuckling at your complaint.

"You'd probably assassinate the head of the mafia who owns the place and burn his house on fire." Chanyeol laughs.

"Hey! I'm not _that_ violent." You roll your eyes. "Anyways, what's the news?"

"We need to revisit the crime scene, probably. Meet me there in thirty minutes. Plainclothes." You glance at the clock- _thirty minutes! Holy-_

"Sure, sure." You shrug off. "It's not like I hate looking at dead bodies or anything."

"Just think if it as a date." Chanyeol teases, and you can almost hear him smirk.

You scoff. "A date in the slums of Seoul, in the place where a man breathed his last breath."

"Yup." He says, popping the _p,_ and before you can argue, hang up. Kyungsoo watches you, amused.

"Work?"

You shake your head in exasperation. "I've got a crime scene to visit."

* * *

As you approach the crime scene (now covered from head to toe with yellow-and-black police tape) you can see Chanyeol waiting for you right behind the line.

He is dressed in simple everyday clothes- a white shirt, black-and-white checkered flannel with black jeans and a black snapback- and he looks absolutely charming. You know this is just standard work procedure, plainclothes, revisiting crime scene, but you can't help remembering what he had told you. _Just think of it as a date._

"You look stunning in plainclothes." Chanyeol tells you as you reach the police line. The two of you are separated by the tape that runs through the lamppost and the pipe. You are dressed in a green bomber jacket, a white shirt, and skinny jeans.

"Not as good as you, mister." You give him an appreciative show over. "And it's not like you haven't seen me in everyday wear before."

"True that." He grins. "If I look so good, can I have a kiss?"

You laugh, grabbing the ends of his unbuttoned flannel, and pull him down for a kiss- right on the dimple that appears when he's grinning. "There. I only did that again because the dimple was cute."

"Hey!" He whines. "What about me?"

You stick your tongue out at him, playfully, and duck beneath the police line to get to his side. "You're okay."

He gives you a full-on pout and you pat his fluffy hair, already moving towards the untouched scene. "C'mon, Watson. The game is on. To the crime scene we go."

At the word _crime scene,_ Chanyeol straightens up, into a more formal business mood now, or at least as formal as Chanyeol can get. He follows you towards the scene, taking out your sanitary gloves, and watches you as you kneel down, examining the dried blood from several days ago. You press your face against the cement, and 

"I've visited the mortuary again and again, and I've analyzed the guy who was killed." You say without looking at him, a set of tweezers in your hand as you very carefully and steadily place several flakes of dried blood in your plastic ziploc. "He was intoxicated, rather high percentage in his bloodstream. Unmarried, forty-six, according to the databases. There were bruises on his left arm, finger-shaped and quite fresh, indicating it happened when the killer tried to pull the man towards him in order to shove the knife down his neck. There's a small den in the lamppost that indicates he was hit by a very high force. You're the physicist, you're supposed to find out. Chanyeol, could you turn on the recorder so that I can write everything down later, please?" You look up when he doesn't respond. "Chanyeol?"

You look up to see what he's doing and find that he's staring at you, his mouth slightly parted. Or rather at a certain body part you own that is revealed quite well when you kneel down on the ground.

"Yah! Park Chanyeol! You perv." You slap his thigh and he shakes his head, looking down at you with a crazy smirk.

"Can't help it." He glances at you again, suggestively wriggling his eyebrows, before rummaging in his backpack, slung over one shoulder, and bringing out the recording device. The two of you do this frequently; too busy to take notes, the two of you record what you say and type it up back at the office later, when they're much more comfortable and can use a computer to type it down.

You take the device from him and put it on the ground. "Why'd we come here _three days_ later, anyway?"

"To see whether anything else can be gleaned from it." He shrugs and imminently pulls out a manila file. It's stuffed full of pictures, writing, and god knows what else, and he produces a stapled sheet of paper. "This was just a temporary stop. We need to visit here."

You take the paper, standing up, and find a address written there, as well as several pictures. "What's this?" You say, analyzing the paper. You can feel Chanyeol coming to stand right behind you, his breath fanning against your temple as his hand grips your waist carefully and he looks at the paper behind you.

"You see that knife?" Chanyeol places a thumb on the picture of a silver knife, coated with blood and with swirling elaborate designs. "That's one of the only two places it's made in Korea."

"But it could have been imported."

"Our... _Joker..._ " He scoffs. "He likes uniqueness. The knife was made in China, but imported here. From Guangzhou," He adds, as you open your mouth.

"Okay. But what about the other place-"

"Closed down two months ago after a mafia shootout." He says. "And it's all the way on the edge of Seoul. The shop is trademarked for their little symbol on everything they own, looking like that-" He points, showing a hand-drawn symbol of a fancy JI- "And none of that is shown on the knife. Therefore, it's here."

"Smart." You glance up, grinning. "What made you want to be a detective?"

He laughs in that husky voice, then says, "I saw you."

Your heart skips a beat. "You-" Your face is warm, but then he begins to walk away and you find yourself scowling instead.

"Dammit, Park Chanyeol." You grumble, and he chuckles, already crossing the police line and through the curious people staring. "C'mon, let's go find our knife."

* * *

The two of you walk through the dilapidated streets of the slums, hand in hand. It is a bright morning and yet the dull grey of the streets makes it seem as though it is much darker, as well as the blanched looks of pedestrians. Their faces are all pale, their backs hunched, and your clothes are the only splash of bright color in the entire district. Your hand is held tightly in Chanyeol's, lest you get separated, and you are slowly analyzing the streets as you go.

But you can't concentrate. It's been years since you've been this deep into the slums, and you didn't know this would have this much of an impact on you. You can feel your brain trying to reenact that night again, and you force yourself to wait for the crossroad.

You glance back. Behind you, you can see a dark alleyway in which strange noises are coming. The streets are dimply lit, so _dangerous._ You observe every detail, like your natural instinct to as a detective, but you wish you didn't. Everything reminds you of _her,_ so much it hurts to think about it.

_Fuck._ You shiver, glancing down a particular street, and for a moment a memory seems to linger there, you and _her,_ hand in hand as she talks with you animatedly. Her face is flushed from the winter cold, and a silvery scarf is wrapped around her neck.

_Today was amazing!_ She would tell you. _I swear, he's so charming and perfect..._

You would laugh, then, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. _You worship him, don't you._

_Just like how Jongdae does with you,_ She would let out her signature breezy laugh. When you looked at her weirdly, she would say, _There's a reason I became a detective before you. At this rate, you'll NEVER be one._ Then the two of you would joke around, heading towards the shared flat.

You remember every detail of her, from her long ebony hair, to her beautiful face with that signature glitter makeup and just the right touch of mascara. Her face would be rosy, her nose the same, at the cold, and snow would settle in light touches around her hair. The two of you would laugh and try to catch snowflakes on your tongue.

_You're beautiful too,_ She would tell you- _You're smart, and amazing, too. I'm nothing compared to you, you big idiot._

Huh. Ironic, wasn't it. You had wanted to become like her- and in the end it had been a liability to be it.

_Dammit._ You can't help it, letting out a small sob; you manage to tear your eyes away from the street when a voice next to you asks, "You okay?"

"Yes." You immediately respond, then when he looks suspicious, adds, "I'm completely fine, Yeollie." You laugh, shakily.

He gives you a final look before turning away; quickly, with your free hand, you wipe the stray tears away. You're _still_ crying like a baby over this- what is _wrong_ with you? Get over it.

You can't do this. You're too distracted. Swallowing, you dig the toe of your combat boots into the ground, digging out something that looks like a piece of gum from the prehistoric times.

You'll ruin the expedition. You'll kill both of you. You'll-

"(Y/N)nie, it's a green light." Chanyeol says, tugging your hand softly. You look up at him.

Another friend. Walking into the ghettos with you. You force yourself to walk, and tell yourself the two of you will be okay.

God, you hope you'll be okay. You squeeze his hand, looking up, and he gives you a dimpled grin before squeezing back.

"So," Chanyeol says, as the two of you turn a corner, "You seemed deep in thought."

"I was."

"About me?" He elbows you. "Hey, it's okay to admit it."

You laughs. Chanyeol always knows how to cheer you up best. "Jeez, Chanyeol." You laugh. "I don't think about you day and night."

He pouts. "Only the _important_ day and nights."

You giggle. "Channie!" It's amazing, really- how he can lift your mood so well in a matter of seconds.

"Hey, I'm not joking." He winks, and then the two of you turn a right and it's right _there._

The two of you stare at the rickety old shop. From close up, the two of you can see how fishy it is- the windows are cracked and stained with unknown materials, the door itself is creaking and falling apart by the very moment, and you can see several rather... _illegal_ looking items.

"Wow." You say dryly. "Chanyeol, nice date you've brought me to."

He looks at you and laughs, pulling you flush against his chest. "Coffee after this." He promises.

"Coffee." You reply, grinning, and is just about to take another step when Chanyeol stops you. "What's wrong?"

"No way I'm letting you go first." He says, eyeing the door suspiciously. "I'm going in. Follow me if I say it's safe, and only if I say it is."

"But-"

"It might be dangerous." He says.

"But-"

"No buts. Promise me you'll listen to my instructions, okay?" He asks. His face is serious, which is rare of him- so... worried about you.

"Okay." You whisper. He chuckles and presses a quick kiss to the crown of your head. "Be safe, baby."

_Baby?_ Your mouth parted slightly, you nod. Chanyeol gives you a dimpled grin before entering the store. You can't help but feel a throb in your heart- your friend going in first- you having to wait- the threat looming in front of you-

You wait a bit on the sidewalk, feeling awkward. You wonder what's in there- probably drugs, or something- but you stray to other thoughts.

More specifically speaking, _Damn, I haven't had a date in forever._

You're wondering whether you should ask a friend you know to set a date up for you when a loud crash sounds from within the store, and your eyes wide, you instinctively reach towards your Smith & Wesson M&P9. But then you remember, _oh, this is the slums of Seoul. You're probably gonna get shot._

Should you follow Chanyeol's orders or not? You nibble your lip nervously as you try to make a decision.

Then there's shouting- from _inside,_ and you can recognize the Chanyeol's husky shouts.

Without another thought, you kick the door open and rush into the store.


	9. Chapter 9

Your mouth drops open at the scene in front of you.

Chanyeol is on the floor, both hands on his face, nose bloodied as he rolls around. Blood is trickling out of the corner of his mouth, his cheek looks slightly red, and he is covering the lower side of his jaw for some reason, but otherwise there is no major harm. The man standing over him triumphant is in his thirties or so, sleazy-looking, his lip bleeding, and his fists are clenched- instantly, your eyes fly between the two of them, analyzing the scene. You take a step towards the man, who's watching you with hungry, beady eyes, but when your partner lets out a groan, you immediately rush to Chanyeol's side.

"Yeollie!" You cry, and kneel down towards him, not minding the dusty floor. You take his face in your hands, and try to pry off his fingers, but for some reason he's clutching onto his jaw like his life depends on it. "Yeollie, what's wrong?"

"Told you- not to come-" He mumbles thickly. "Don't mind me. The thing we came here for."

You sigh but nod. He's right. "Um," You look at the other man (shopkeeper?) who keeps staring at you- "Why did you attack my friend?"

"Yer friend?" He raises an eyebrow.

With lots of difficulty, you resist drawing your gun out of your jacket and blowing his brains out. "Yes. My friend."

"Well I dunno what I said, he jus' started attacking me-"

"Bullshit." Chanyeol makes out, with a bit of difficulty, and with ease pulls himself up with both hands still on his face. "He said-" The rest cannot be heard- his mouth makes out the words which you cannot make out.

"He said you looked easy to fuck." A voice behind you says.

Your eyes narrow. "Pardon me?"

You whip around. A man you thought hadn't been there is there now, dressed in a close-fitting navy suit that compliments his figure rather beautifully. He looks to be around your age, and unlike most people in the slums, his eyes are bright and intelligent. And yes, another thing that strikes you-

He is handsome. Beautifully so. He has onyx black hair, falling over his forehead perfectly, and tucked behind his ears, on which there are simple stud earrings that are for some reason very complimentary of his face. Speaking of it, his face is sculptured almost perfectly, like that of a Greek statue. His cheekbones are cut jaggedly high, and he looks down at you from his round wire-rimmed glasses.

"He said you looked easy to..." He grimaces. "Fuck."

On the ground, Chanyeol shakes his head, and yells out something unrecognizable. The shopkeeper looks at the man behind you nervously.

"I told you I can take care of myself, you big idiot." You know for a fact that Chanyeol is prone to attacking anyone and losing his head whenever someone insults you. You mean, it's endearing and all, but you're a twenty-four year old with a 10th degree black belt in judo.

You roll your eyes at the man on the ground and turn to the shopkeeper- he glances at you, and then at the man behind you.

Chanyeol tries to say something. You narrow your eyes as he gestures towards the hand of the shopkeeper- he's holding something.

He's holding a knife.

The exact same knife. Bloodied.

With a single flourish, you pull our your gun- god, you really didn't want to do this- and aim it at the head of the shopkeeper. "You're arrested for assaulting a police officer. I'm a Detective Inspector and I need you to tell me whether you've seen a man like this, too. Maybe your records."

Chanyeol mumbles something inaudible and you spare him a glance before your eyes flicker back to the shopkeeper. "Records. Now."

He laughs, nervously. "Puddin', I'm not sure-"

There is a _bang_ and the gun goes off. The man swallows hard, a wet patch apparent on his pants as smoke curls off the wall next to him.

"In my whole time serving as a detective, I have _never_ missed, so tell me. A bullet down your gullet or the records?"

He scurries away to get the records, and you kneel down next to Chanyeol. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

Chanyeol grumbles unhappily. "I canf fweek."

"OK, I get it. Open your mouth."

"I canf."

Furrowing your brows, you take his fingers and pry his lips open little by little. Blood is sloshing around his mouth, and his tongue has swollen up- "It's just your tongue. You probably bit on it while you were being punched. No broken teeth- that's good, open it just a little more. Swollen cheek, probably, and you'll have a nasty bruise on your cheek." His large hands are still pressing at his jaw, refusing to show you. You frown.

"Chanyeol, take your hands off."

He shakes his head. You ease your fingers beneath his and try to push them away; but to no avail. "No." He mumbles.

You wonder what's making Chanyeol go like this; remembering the man, you turn back to him. "Do you know what's wrong with him?"

He looks at you closely, and then walks over to you and crouches down. He pushes Chanyeol's head down so that his hand is in the light, and says, "The knife."

"Pardon?"

"He got slashed with the knife." The man with the suit says. "You'll have to treat it before it gets infected, the knife was a bit rusty."

You curse. "Rusty? What were you thinking?" The last part is directed at Chanyeol, who shrugs and looks at you as if saying, _Well, I didn't KNOW it would be rusty._

Behind you you can hear footsteps, and you turn immediately, your gun whipping towards the sound of the voice. Rage boils in your gut as the man shakily holds out a large notebook to you- if it was up to you you would make him run through a hamster wheel and shoot him, but since it's not, you snatch the notebook away from him and sit Chanyeol up straighter, unzipping his backpack. You stuff the notebook in his backpack and zip it back up.

"C'mon." You coax, giving him a hand. "C'mon, you big fluffball."

He gives you a look and when spotting the determined look on your face, grabs your hand, his large fingers wrapping around your smaller ones. He gets up and you try to help him but _damn, he's too heavy_ and you find yourself awkwardly stumbling forwards instead, smothering your face into his hard chest. He catches you, placing his hand on the small of your back to support you again.

"Dammit." You mumble, and Chanyeol laughs. You peel yourself away from him and look up at him- his hand is still over his jaw protectively- and you feel a surge of anger.

So, you walk over to the shopkeeper and cock your gun- threateningly.

"I could shoot you, but I'm not going to because you could be of more use." You narrow your eyes. "Next time, keep your hands off _my_ Chanyeol or you'll face consequences."

He nods, terrified.

"Now _tell me,_ have you seen a man like this?" You fish a picture out of your pocket. It is a drawing one of your friends in SCPD, a sketch artist, had made a day prior to today; it is of a man, stenciled green hair slicked back, and a handsome face, sharp downturned eyebrows.

He looks at the picture and nods instantly. "Yes, yes, I have! He came, a week or so ago, brought a knife and a bottle of sleeping pills." He swallows and looks at you. "He- came. Yes. He came."

But your attention has fixated on the last part. "A bottle of what?"

"Sleeping pills." The shopkeeper says. "He comes once a week, always buys sleeping pills, a huge quantity. He comes from-"

There's a _bang,_ and you flinch violently, whipping back around. No one is there- not even that mysterious man who helped the two of you out. No one is there.

But when you turn back, the shopkeeper is dead.

* * *

"(L/N)! Park! What the hell were you thinking?!" Your boss rages, storming towards you. His face is red and furious, his eyebrows turned down sharply as he gives the two of you the evillest eye.

You look up from your spot, sitting on the edge of the ambulance. Chanyeol is holding into your hand tightly in pain as a nurse leans over him, addressing his swollen cheek and tongue, the blood from his nose, as well as the inflated gash on his jaw.

"We went to investigate, sir. Because we're detectives, and that's our job." You say, as calmly as you can. "So we went, and we got information, and then someone got shot."

The police commissioner looks at you.

"Full story. Now."

You tell him. As you make out further and further details in his analysis, his face seems to grow darker and darker. As you mention the last bit, the commissioner frowns.

"No one? On the street?"

You shook your head for confirmation. "None. It was completely deserted. Oh, and as for the records- we have it here, we haven't opened it yet."

You lean behind Chanyeol to unzip his bag and take out the thick black notebook, and the commissioner says, "When are you going to check out the crime scene?"

"Just after I finish looking at this, sir." You say. You flip open the notebook, which are filled with piles of records, and just just starting to analyze when the commissioner pulls it out of your hands.

"One of the others can take a look at it. You're the best on-scene detective we have, and we need you here now."

You feel your neck grow hot at the unexpected compliment. "I- um," You clear your throat- _Get it together, (L/N)!-_ and stand up. "I would prefer to work with Chanyeol but since he's been hurt I can go by myself." You lean backwards again, a hand on Chanyeol's shoulder as you reach into his bag and pull out the recording device. "It's fine-"

"Yah- no." A muffled voice comes from your left, and Chanyeol is trying to push the nurse away. "I haha go hihu."

"That obviously makes so much sense." You pet his pink hair. "Stay safe and dye your hair something more sensible, okay?"

He mumbles something that sounds like, _I like my hair._

"You're too recognizable and I don't like that." You cup his wound and lean closer to him- he watches your movements and you kiss him on his bruise. "Now you try to push the nurse away again and I'll sock you in the mouth." You tell him sweetly.

He grumbles something. You stand up, latex gloves already in your hand, and the commissioner stares at the two of you, amused, mumbling something under his breath.

"Pardon, sir?"

He smiles. "Nothing. Just... it's very endearing."

You blush. "We're just friends, sir." The two of you begin to walk into the shop, towards the crime scene. He has stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"A man once told me there's no such thing as 'just friends' between a man and a woman." The commissioner scoffs. "That's what my wife used to call me before we started going out."

You grin. "Well I'm safe, sir. I'm not going to marry Park Chanyeol."

They stop at the crime scene. "Are you now?" Police Commissioner Byun says. "I have a son your age, you know. I wish he had a 'just friend' too."

"Oh?" You raise your eyebrow. "What's his name?"

"Byun Baekhyun. I'll bring him along sometime."

"That's fine by me, sir." You salute and turn away, heading towards the crime scene. Your latex gloves slap on your skin as you pull them on.

_Shall we get to work, then?_

As soon as you step into the scene, you begin to analyze everything.


End file.
